25th Anniversary Celebrations Of The Collectives Of Remo Symposium

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KEYNOTE SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, IMMEDIATE PAST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE COLLECTIVES OF REMO TITLED: REMO STRATEGIC GROWTH: ENHANCEMENT AND SUSTENANCE IN LAGOS ON THE 27TH SEPTEMBER 2025

PROTOCOLS

Let me begin by thanking my brother Engr Wole Ogunsanya and the executive team of The Collectives for the kind invitation to make these remarks today. Let me also congratulate us all on this remarkable milestone — the 25th anniversary of The Collectives of Remo. For a quarter of a century, this body has lived out its founding ideals of service and sacrifice, not in words but in deeds, lighting the path of progress for Remoland and our nation, and showing us what can yet be achieved in the years ahead for the good of all.

I am also here in response to the Royal orders of Kabiyesi, HRM the Akarigbo of Remoland, our own monarch, who in less than a decade has shown us all what purposeful and inspirational leadership is all about. I am to speak on the topic Remo Strategic Growth: Enhancement and Sustenance. Remo Strategic Growth: Enhancement and Sustenance.

Kabiyesi, while preparing for this lecture, I read again the speech I gave at your installation as the Akarigbo of Remoland, on the 7th of December 2017. There are portions of it that are relevant to our gathering today. Let me read those portions.

“Today we are witnesses to a rare historic event of monumental importance for the people of Remo and for the Yoruba race. The installation and coronation of the Akarigbo of Remo. The paramount ruler of Remoland. Through the ages, this throne has proved to be a bastion of freedom, hope and egalitarianism, from the days of its founding, when men fleeing from the jihad of Uthman Dan Fodio, and the collapse of the Oyo Empire, were offered succour and safety on this very land upon which we stand today. It is from this throne that some of the most significant ideas on the development of Remo emerged. And it is here that the culture and ethos of the Remo person are defined and propagated. Here is the sum and substance of who we are as a people. And so we, the people of Remo, are fortunate. Your majesty, being an accomplished accountant and a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, we could not have made a better choice.

We are confident that your sterling attributes will benefit the governance of Remo land and its great people… This extraordinary honour done to your Royal Majesty by the traditions and acceptance of our people undoubtedly comes with a huge burden of responsibility. This is the task of galvanizing the Remo people for the monumental assignment of developing our towns and villages.

This is a land of incredibly gifted men and women, from the professions to the arts and politics. Your reign must mark the coming together of all sons and daughters of Remo to take this historic land to its place in the 21st century. Your pedigree, commitment to our people, and avowed trust in the power and grace of God give us great hope and confidence that you will exceed all expectations.”

I think a few things emerge from that speech. The first is the leadership that our monarch, the Akarigbo, is expected to show, and I am proud to say that he has shown time and time again, not only in backing and proposing progressive ideas and projects, but also in resolving conflicts that are capable of disrupting peace and progress, not just in Remoland but across the country.

The second point is that the people of Remo are incredibly gifted and accomplished, from Papa Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the visionary Premier of the Western Region, who introduced the first free primary education scheme in Nigeria and in sub-Saharan Africa, the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme in the Western Region in 1955, to the first African Nobel Laureate in literature, Wole Soyinka of Isara, and to heavy-weight champion, Anthony Joshua. We seem to be dominating betting and gaming with Baba Jebu Chief Kesington Adebutu to Kunle Soname of Betnaija. Then there is one of the wealthiest black men in the US, the international investment banker and Infrastructure financing guru, Adebayo Ogunlesi from Makun, Sagamu.

The other day at an event for the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, I was teasing my friend from Akwa Ibom State that Ikenne has more senior advocates than the whole of his State, we had 13 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, when they had nine. Indeed, Ikenne is the village that has the most SANs per square mile in Nigeria!

The second point from the speech is that the people of Remoland have always been catalysts for development. Indeed, when Chief Obafemi Awolowo introduced the capitation tax (a head tax paid by adults) to finance free education, this triggered strong resistance and protests in parts of the region, particularly among farmers and traders who felt that they were already paying too much in tax. Some communities staged demonstrations against the new tax rates. In certain rural areas, there were open clashes between tax collectors and the people. Women in particular resisted it and refused to pay; in the end, the anecdotal history records that aside from men, only Ijebu women paid the tax! (This, of course, refers to Remo women as well.) That story is not just about taxation; it is about responsibility, sacrifice, and the willingness of Remo to lead by example. And that is the central message I bring today: the people of Remoland must once again be catalysts for growth by embracing and sustaining the big, transformative industrial projects that will shape the future of our nation and our own future.

Therein lies our own growth and prosperity. We are a small community that, by the grace of God, is geostrategically located to be a gateway to development. Consider our extraordinary location: barely an hour’s drive from Lagos, Africa’s sixth-largest economy, and strategically positioned along the Lagos–Ibadan corridor. This makes Remoland the natural hub for industry, logistics, and innovation. Let me highlight three strategic projects that demonstrate this potential:

These are three industrial projects that the Governor of the State and I worked on while I was Vice President. Especially to get federal government approval. And I think the Governor deserves commendation for his tenacity and commitment to ensuring that these projects work and the tremendous progress made so far. Let’s look at the three: the gateway agro-cargo airport is a notable example located in Remoland, but it is of great economic importance to the State and Lagos. Ogun State borders Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and home to the busiest airport and seaport. The Gateway Airport sits along the Lagos-Ibadan Express corridor, placing it within the country’s most industrialised and densely populated region. This makes it a natural hub for moving goods in and out of southwest Nigeria, easing congestion at Lagos ports and airports.

The airport is, of course, a boost to Agricultural Exports. Ogun is a leading producer of cassava, cocoa, poultry, fish, rice, and other agro-products. The airport is designed primarily as a cargo airport, allowing perishable goods to be exported quickly to Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. It supports Nigeria’s push to diversify from oil into non-oil exports, especially agriculture. The cargo airport links directly to Ogun State’s multiple industrial hubs (Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, Agbara, and the new Remo Economic Hub), providing logistics support to manufacturing, agro-processing, and export-oriented businesses.

It is expected to strengthen the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agenda by making Nigerian goods more competitive within Africa. Lagos seaports and Murtala Muhammed Airport are overstretched. The Gateway Airport offers an alternative entry and exit point for imports and exports, reducing delays and costs for businesses. There are also the job creation and regional development components – airports are economic multipliers: the Gateway Cargo Airport is already attracting aviation services, logistics parks, warehouses, and agroprocessing industries around it. Value Jet will start commercial flights from the Gateway International Airport to Abuja on the 7th of October. The service will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A maintenance facility for maintenance and checks for Embraer aircrafts is also being developed in the Aeropolis (Air Peace aircraft). Housing developments around the airport include the Gateway Aviation Village, to accommodate employees in the hub area. The State government has begun construction of 200 housing units at Iperu for Remo hub workers. These translate into thousands of jobs and new revenue streams for both Ogun State and the federal government. The road in front of the airport, the Ilishan-Iperu Road, is being dualized.

There is already a road from the expressway straight to the airport (across the IlishanIperu road), and on that road, the state is collaborating with the theatre and film producer Bolanle Austen-Peters to set up a film village.

The gateway airport will complement another game-changing development project: The Remo Economic Development Cluster (REDC). This is the 5000-hectare area in Remoland designated by Ogun State for large-scale industrial and economic activity. It is meant to host multiple industrial, logistics, residential, and commercial developments, creating an ecosystem of industries and supporting services. The major industrial activities of the hub are agro-processing, light industry, pharmaceuticals, and logistics. Within the cluster is the Industrial Platform Remo Free Zone (IPRFZ) – this is a public-private partnership between the State government and Arise Integrated Industrial Platform (ARISE IIP). It enjoys Free Trade Zone (FTZ) status, which means special incentives: customs duty exemptions, tax holidays, simplified business processes, etc. It is essentially the flagship anchor project within the larger cluster, designed to attract global and local manufacturers. The IPRFZ focuses on ready-made industrial plots, utilities (gas, power, water, telecoms) and shared infrastructure to accelerate investment.

ARISE IIP is investing about $400 million for phase 1. Phase 1 alone aims to attract $1billion in foreign direct investments. Already, the industrial platform has a dedicated modular Power plant, 10 MW. Partners to Arise IIP, Afro Textile are setting up a Garment production plant with the capacity to make 4 million garments a day, and employ 150,000 workers. Afrexim is the financial partner of Arise IIP and the Ogun State government in the project. The total cost of the project is $2.5 billion. Also, the Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ) forms part of the hub. The hub is expected to provide nearly 12,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs. There is also another strategically important project, which is the Nigeria Customs Service mega project in the Ilishan Iperu area. The project is worth N200 billion, and it includes the combined facility of a Customs Zonal office and training School, the Federal Operations Unit Zone A headquarters, a government warehouse and a Customs training college.

The project is set on 100 hectares close to the Gateway Agro Airport. The proximity of these customs offices to the cargo airport will mean that export and import processes can be faster, and storage and warehousing are close by. While the Customs University and Zonal offices and training school act as anchors for more commercial activity, the developments also support the Remo Economic Hub, and will drive the urgency of providing necessary infrastructure such as roads, power and services. It is also important to mention that the huge power demands of these projects will mean large power sources whose excess capacity will make domestic power available or at least cheaper for the populace in those locations. These are not token gestures or short-term empowerment schemes. They are transformative projects — designed to lift entire communities, create sustainable jobs, attract global investors, and alter the economic trajectory of Remoland for generations. But the crucial question is: how do we sustain and enhance them? The answer is political will and collective responsibility.

So, we must insist that anyone who seeks our support for political office must prioritize these projects. Our federal legislators from Remo must be knowledgeable about these projects and fight for federal resources to supplement funding for building the infrastructure around these projects. While it is useful to provide empowerment for people in the constituencies, we must create more lasting ways of engendering prosperity, namely, major industrial projects that can create good-paying jobs and opportunities. We, the people of Remoland, must become advocates and defenders of these projects, for they are the bedrock of our future prosperity.

Let me conclude with this call to action: Remoland has always been a beacon of enterprise, sacrifice, and leadership. Today, the responsibility falls on us once again. We must reject the illusion of quick fixes or small handouts. True prosperity will come only from sustaining and expanding the great industrial projects now taking root in our land. Let us unite behind them, protect them, and demand their completion. If we do this, Remoland will not only prosper, but we will have provided huge opportunities for the good of all.

Permit me, your Royal Majesty, to say a word of prayer for you as you ascend the coveted throne of your fathers. I pray that Remo and its people will prosper in your reign. I pray that the Almighty God will hear and answer all your prayers for this land, and the hand of God will be upon you to guide and direct you daily. Your days will be longer than any who has sat upon this throne, and as your days so shall your strength, your wisdom and your favour with God in Jesus’ name.

Kabiyesi a se se fun yin o, olorun oba a Lora emi yin, a si ye a si yeyin kale loruko Jesu.